Civil War Abolition

Words: 1526
Pages: 7
Open Document
A common misconception surrounding the Civil War is that it was fought over the abolition of slavery. The Civil War had a plethora of inciting factors, many of which were influenced and driven by the institution of slavery, but complete abolition was never considered at first. Many northerners were dismayed with the South’s expansion of slavery and feared that they would have complete political control over the country. Southerners believed that the North had absolute control over the government by oppressing the South’s way of life, by opposing their expansion. While slavery was the driving force behind many of the events that occurred the war was fought to mend the Union. Over time, the war developed and changed to surround the abolition …show more content…
With hundreds of thousands of miles’ worth of Mexican territory now in the hands of the United States, many were concerned with how the government would go about handling slavery. A Northern abolitionist, Benjamin Lundy claimed the war was fought to, “wrest the large and valuable territory of Texas from the Mexican Republic in order to reestablish the SYSTEM OF SLAVERY; to open and vast and profitable SLAVE-MARKET.” This was largely the concern of many Northerners who feared the expansion of slavery, and subsequent expansion of Southern power. A congressman proposed the Wilmot Proviso, which “proposed outlawing slavery in all territories acquired from Mexico so the South could not profit from the war.” Though this passed in the house, many southerners in the Senate immediately shot it down. With its new land claims, especially the territory of Texas, many Southerners rallied for Texas to become a slave state, to the dismay of Northerners. From admitting that annexing Texas would only further sectional division between the North and South, to facilitating the idea that “The North may then choose between the Union with Texian Independence- with the establishment of Slavery above the reach of fanaticism-and no Union.” Well aware of the repercussions granting Texas its statehood would have on the state of the Union, the South is giving the North an ultimatum; Annex Texas as a slave state or be driven to
Show More

Related Documents: Civil War Abolition

Abolition Movement Civil War

for the largest change was the Abolition Movement. The reform was so controversial that it ultimately led to one of the most devastating wars to ever happen, the Civil War. In the end 620,000 thousand Americans were dead and the African Americans that were previously enslaved were free. There are many explanations as to why the death toll of the Civil war was so high. Some say it was the development of transportation that lead to the large death toll in the Civil War and the use of trains, however…

Words 1588 - Pages 7

Civil War Social Differences

What's more different than a cat and a dog? The North and the South during the civil war. There were political, economic and social differences that were evident. So evident that you could identify a side by just seeing a method of doing something. One side saw Abraham Lincoln as a threat and the other saw him a hero. One side found different ways of doing work while the other stayed faithful to what they always thought was right, no matter the cruelty they forced upon innocent people daily. One…

Words 540 - Pages 3

Causes Of The Emancipation Proclamation

total abolition of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation shaped the civil war by increasing the shape of the Union, changed foreign powers support for the Confederacy, and changed the meaning of the war from just preserving the Union to also freeing the southern slaves and not just the northern ones. In 1861, the American Civil war began and lasted 4 years long. It was a battle between the North and South or, also known as, The Union and The Confederacy. There were many causes of the war because…

Words 707 - Pages 3

Sectionalism In 1800s

of sectionalism between the two sections: the north and the south. In this time period, the main causes of sectionalism are dated back to the Second Great Awakening, where morals and reform movements such as abolition were at an all-time high; however, it was not until the 1840s that abolition became a serious topic of discussion. As territorial and economic expansion of the United States grew significantly, the argument of abolishing slavery in the North and the continuation of slavery in the South…

Words 150 - Pages 1

Why Was The Abolition Of Slavery Important

The abolition of slavery is one of the most important events in history. Slavery was abolished in 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment was signed. However, it was a long struggle for practically 100 years before that to end slavery. The struggle really was first noted all the way back during the time of the Revolutionary War. This also tied in directly with the Declaration of Independence. Abolition definitely existed in the times of the Revolutionary War. A good deal of the Founding Fathers,…

Words 379 - Pages 2

Rhetorical Analysis Of Chatgpt's 'Mac' Marquis Teaching Assistant

The abolition movement was a significant historical movement dedicated to ending slavery in the 19th century and this essay is an analysis of ChatGPT's essay on this same subject. First of all, the thesis statement of ChatGPT’s essay is not incorrect, but it becomes kind of repetitive and loses clarity at points. Essentially, the essay asserts that the abolition movement aimed to end slavery and affected socially and economically the…

Words 1451 - Pages 6

The Role Of Slavery In Colonial America

the Louisiana Purchase and Organ territory, it was a method of the north and the south to push their ideology and culture to the new territory. The conflict between the north and the south set the foundation of the tensions regarding slavery in the Civil…

Words 1449 - Pages 6

Civil War Essay

The Civil War The American Civil War, fought between the North and South during the years 1861~1865, was the must brutal war in American history. Over 600,000 Americans died in this struggle, which was fought because the nation could not peacefully settle the social, political, and economical issues. This issue simmered for many years and many laws were enacted as compromises to prevent the Civil War, but by the 1850s, things were coming to a head. The sparks that ignited the two sides into an…

Words 854 - Pages 4

Abolitionist Movement Dbq

the expansion of slavery further into the west and ending slavery all together. The abolition of slavery began in the age of Abraham Lincoln. According to the Chicago Historical Society, As early as the debates over the Declaration of Independence, slavery had divided Americans. But not until the 1830s did a mass movement, inspired by religious revivals that swept much of the North, emerge favoring the abolition of slavery. Unlike previous opponents of slavery, abolitionists demanded immediate rather…

Words 254 - Pages 2

Civil War Economy

The Civil War took a lot of willpower and money out of the United States and many other countries. The total amount of military causalities on both sided surpassed a million. The total amount of men deaths was more than any American war combined, excluding the Vietnam War. The Civil war, however, impacted America in many other things, not just causalities. The Civil War brought fundamental changes in the lives of people of the nation; it changed the political land, economy, and the social lifestyle…

Words 537 - Pages 3